IRONMAN COEUR D'ALENE RACE REPORT June 27, 2010

My first IM in sevens years, first since having kids and even first as "Julie Balay", and first triathlon as a 40 year old. I felt like a first timer again, the nerves were the same. It was a test of my mettle for sure--at least 80% mental/20% physical--99% mental at the end.

Race Week:

All week my legs felt flat and heavy. Not sure why--tapered too much/too soon? Dunno. I had a feeling I was not going to feel great on race morning and I was correct.

Race Morning:

SWIM

Erik says I was one of maybe 12 out of perhaps 2500 competitors with a sleeveless wetsuit--the water was pretty cold, many people had aqua socks on and even thermal neoprene caps. Truth was it wasn't that bad, but my feet did get a little cold at the end.

The start was a beach run which was new for me—2000+ people running into the water at once was a little scary for someone my size. Erik told me to get my elbows up. I got to where I couldn’t stand any longer and began swimming without harm. However, I had to swim all the way to the first buoy with my feet and legs vertical as to not have someone push my legs down into the water from behind. Was very slow going, but thankfully I didn't not get trampled. The water was choppy, not the calm waters of Lake Placid. Because of the traffic and choppiness, I did swallow a decent amount of lake water, which may have turned out to be a problem later on the bike.

Swim Split: 1:16 (2:00/100 meters)
(Goal was under 1:10, but times were all slow it seems)

T1 Transition was fine, I didn't rush but didn't lollygag either.

BIKE

Out on the bike the legs proved to be flat as they had been all week. I kept a good attitude though and just told myself to take it easy and they'd loosen up. I let HUNDREDS of people pass me, even ones that should not have been passing me, and just sucked it up and tried to race my own race. It's a long day and I wasn't going to follow any yahoos or succumb to my ego.

At 30 miles my legs were feeling a little looser--better than they had and I thought, "Ahhh, okay, now you can ride a little." So for ten miles or so I felt good about the rest of the day and kept fueling regularly, like I had done in training and at the half IM I did 5 weeks prior.

At about 42 miles I took a sip of sports drink and got an immediate stabbing pain in my stomach. What was that? I was shocked, as I have never had GI problems on the bike. I relaxed and figured it would go away-but it didn't and that would prove to be the last calories I would take on the bike. I grabbed some water at the aid stations and that went down with minimal discomfort, thank goodness--but I had 70 miles to ride--how was I going to do that on water and then run a marathon? What if the pain did't go away by the run (the cramping was persistent but would be unbearable if I ate or drank more than water)? If that was the case, a DNF was likely in my future. But I didn't despair, I just tried to the look on the bright side that I had 70 miles to get rid of this pain and that was plenty of time.

Missed seeing the family and friends at the 56 mile mark--and since I was hurting that was tough, but back out on the second loop I went with my water. The course was pretty tough, prevailing winds 10-15 mph. At times we did get the luxury of the tail wind, but had a head wind for the last 15 miles of each loop, which came after the 20 mile stretch of hills prior to that--not nasty hills just non-stop moderate .4-.5 milers one after another after another. I was averaging about 17 after the first loop, which is slow for me, even for IM. I knew the second loop would probably be even slower since I couldn't eat. But I kept plugging. In the last 2 miles of the bike, I saw Erik, the boys, Kevin and the Grinkers--which was fabulous and got me going again to run, but over 4 hours on the bike without taking food didn't bode well for running a marathon. I still had my doubts.

Bike Split:
6:46:45 (a mind bogglingly slow and embarrassing 16.5 mph average)
(Goal was 6:30 or less, PR is 6:10)

T2

Got off the bike and had to WALK/hobble toward my gear bag and into the change tent--it's really not supposed to be like that and I figured I was doomed--but I had to give it a go. I took my time and probably had the slowest T2 of mytriathlon career--putting on my ankle wrap, stretching out a little, and taking some Pepto bismol chewables--which I think ended up saving my IM, btw.

RUN

First mile was a nightmare...slugging along with ironpots for legs, devoid of any glycogen whatsoever. The ball of my left foot felt like a rock was beating it everytime I landed-I took my ankle wrap off since it was also bothering me. I was a mess. As I saw the first mile marker which said 14 (for the second loop) I had a hard time imagining doing this loop TWICE, much less once. At the first water station .5 miles in, I decided to try to get in some calories. Sip of Coke and a potato chip. Mild cramp. Skipped the next station..give the pepto more time. Tried again at the next stop--coke, pretzel sticks, water, ice down the back and in the hat. Mild cramp...seemed as though I could take only a tiny bit and be ok. Over the next 7 miles I was able to drink a little more coke and eat 4-5 teeny pretzel sticks. I knew that gels would take my stomach back over the edge so I avoided them, but at least I was trying to recoup my losses from the bike and STILL RUNNING.

At this point, I was struggling to run 11+ min miles--1.5 min off my doable goal pace--but it didn't really matter--I was just happy to be running. All those yahoos from the bike--that's right--WALKING. It seemed as though even at this early stage in the marathon almost half of the people were walking already. This was actually good for my psyche--made me feel smart for going so slow on the bike and fast just because I was running, no matter how slow. So I kept running but the turn around at mile 7 seemed like it took an eternity to reach-and I have to come back here again? Hmmmm...how does that work with how I am feeling right now? I was looking at walking the second half of this marathon- and I did NOT like it.

I decided that it was okay (and probably necessary) to walk up the one major hill at mile 7--so I did--at the top was the turnaround and I immediately resumed running back down the hill. After a half a mile I knew that I would not be able to finish this marathon without walking a little more--so I made a deal with myself that I could run 9 min and walk a minute for the rest of the race. I kept looking at the watch longing for 9 minutes to come so I could welcome my first walking break. Oddly when it came I decided that I would save it for the little up grade that was coming...then I got to the hill and decided I could get up the hill...then it was a down hill and I could certainly run down that...and on and on the mental chatter went and I kept running. It's as if giving myself permission to walk gave me the power NOT TO. And I kept thinking of everyone who was probably tracking me thinking...boy I don't want to be a big disappointment to myself and everyone else and tell the story of how I walked my IM marathon and finished at 11 pm. I don't like telling those kind of race stories.

By now, I was able to take in two dixie cups of coke each station and was relying on ice to keep cool--it was full sun and much of the course was not shaded. I still didn't try the hard stuff (gels, bars) in fear of my stomach. As I made my way back to town and was still actually running (and still passing the walkers) my outlook begain to shift--I was almost half way--there is NO way I am not finishing this thing and maybe I can start thinking about my goals again, not just getting through it.

Well, my ultimate MINIMUM goal was to break 13 hours. I have PR'ed 11:46 and also done 12:58--when I had to walk the last ten miles do to GI conditions of the horrific kind (IM is such a crap shoot with your stomach, for sure). I could have done 11:30 at that race. Then I did 13:03 my last time--on about zero training and in POURING rain--I got in the pool twice and barely ran. So I figured I wanted to break 13 since I have never been comfortable with my one 13+ hour finish, trained or not, rain or not. Honestely I thought 12:30 was very reasonable goal if all went well--but of course we all know already it didn't, so I was back to my minimum goal.

Looking at my half marathon split and doing the math--13 hours was a long shot--I mean nobody negative splits their IM marathon, certainly not me--the swimmer/biker/"hold on for the run-ner". Even if I kept going at my pace I was probably looking at 13:10, 13:05 at best. But hey, I thought, that's still prettyclose and you have had a such a bad day so far-you should be happy with that. So I kept running back out of town for my second loop. At this point there were some women in my age group (age written on your calf) that I could see I was running with--both were running ok but not running away from me. This was good--someone to stay with. As the next few miles plugged on I realized I was at least staying on pace if not getting a little faster. My legs hurt, but I kept thinking that I had two children with no drugs--what was a little leg pain compared to that--and in the end--the pain goes away anyway so just suck it up.

10 miles left-I had to average 10 min/mile to finish under 13--no shot for sure--I had been averaging 11 give or take and the hill was coming again which would slow me. Well you are certainly not going to do it if you don't try...

So I followed the other 40 year old to the hill and decided not to crush my legs trying to run up a hill to save a minute with 6 miles left--the other girl ran very strong up the hill--I let her go. At the turn around I began running again--but I was starting to really bonk. Coke and a few bites of pretzels weren't doing it for me after almost 4 hours of running, and I felt my empty legs straining more and more. I figured I had 6 miles left--if I took a gel and it made me sick--than that was the chance I would have to take because if I didn't I was looking at walking anyway . So here goes nothing--took a 1/2 tsp with water to test-no reaction--ok just take half and see what happens--all ok!!! I took 2 gels during the last 6 miles and it saved my butt-the calories and the knowledge that I was so close to being done was keeping me going--I had turned a horrible race into a respectable one with pacing, experience, and perserverence--just had to run 5 more miles. Then I passed the girl who wasted her legs running up the hill...

Back to the goal--6 miles to go--I think I was at 12:05--I have to run 9's to break 13--good luck, Julie. But what the hell--why don't you just try--what's the worst that could happen--you have to slow down at the end? Every mile doing the math-and every mile staying close to on pace to come in just over 13--but probably not break it, I kept thinking. At 12:33--3 miles to go--you have to run 9's to do it...hmmm.. kept running faster, using my arms, heart rate going higherthan it had all day...just leave it in Idaho, Julie. One mile to go 12:51+ ...so close....I have to run sub-9 min mile to finish under 13...haven't run even close to that the whole race but what the hell--I kicked it in and finally coming down the long finish stretch with <3 min to spare-and it's farther than it looks--I dug deep and turned my legs over as fast as I can, open up my stride, and pump my arms all the way down until can see the clock ticking as it comes into sight: 12:59:30, 31, 32...OMG you better get there before 13:00:00.

I kept running and beat that clock by 11 seconds. 12:59:49 is the official time of my 4th IM.

I feel pretty victorious, though I officially won nothing but bragging rights that I finished an IM (without walking the marathon). I am proud of myself for keeping a good attitude the whole time and plugging through what was probably my best "mental" ironman of them all, and thankfully not my slowest, 7 years and two kids later.

I feel especially lucky to have finished so strong on so little training, averaging just under 9 hours per week total, with only 5 workouts average (1 swim-2400m/wk, 2 bike-avg-89m/week, 2 run-avg 15m/week). This is 2/3 to 1/2 what most do to prepare for a race like this so I have to give my body some major props for getting me through it and vow to train a little more if I ever indulge in this craziness again!
RUN TIME:
4:46:54 (10:57 pace)
(Goal Time 4:20, PR 4:21)

THE NUMBERS: Overall Placement: 1036/2262 (race was 70/30 men to women) 37/118 W40-44 SWIM 1:16:02 (2:01/100meters) Swim Rank: 33/118 839/2262 T1 4:31 BIKE 6:46:35 (16.5 MPH, ugh) Bike Rank 50/118 1465/2262 T2 5:49 RUN 4:46:54 (10:58/mile) Run Rank: 39/118 844/2262